The Milwaukee Brewers will look to rediscover their offense when they host the surging Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night in the second game of a four-game series.
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff (9-3, 3.52 ERA) will start for Milwaukee, while the Dodgers will counter with rookie right-hander Ryan Pepiot (1-0, 3.92).
The Dodgers won the series opener 4-0 on Monday night for their 13th victory in 14 games.
Julio Urias pitched five scoreless innings to win his 10th consecutive decision. Freddie Freeman and Gavin Lux each homered for the Dodgers, who are 20-4 since the All-Star break and 35-6 since June 29.
“They have really good players, a really good bullpen, really good pitchers, and it’s going to a really good battle, and it’s going to be a tough series,” Brewers shortstop Willy Adames said. “We have to play better and try to take advantage of whatever they give us to win the game, and try to execute when we have the opportunity.”
Milwaukee, which had scored just seven runs in losing two of three over the weekend at St. Louis, was shut out for the 10th time. The Brewers were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position against the Dodgers, who also got one hitless inning apiece from four relievers.
“We had a couple rallies going and couldn’t get the next hit,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “A couple leadoff hitters on and couldn’t get anything going. He (Urias) is a good pitcher for sure, one of the tougher starters in the league, but in the end, we didn’t do enough to create offense.”
Milwaukee has not had a winning season against the Dodgers since going 5-1 in 2014. Los Angeles also eliminated the Brewers in the 2018 NLCS and 2020 wild-card round.
Woodruff is 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in eight starts since coming off the injured list. He has faced the Dodgers three times in his career, including two starts, all at Milwaukee, allowing 10 runs in 13 2/3 innings without a decision.
In his last start, Woodruff allowed three runs in seven innings but did not get the decision in a 4-3 win Wednesday over Tampa Bay in 10 innings.
Pepiot, who has been up and down between the minors and Dodgers this season, will make his sixth big league start and second since being recalled on Aug. 10.
Opponents are batting just .203 against Pepiot, but he has walked 15 vs. 23 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings.
In his last start, Pepiot allowed four runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings Wednesday but did not get the decision in an 8-5 victory over Minnesota.
“This is an amazing team to be a part of and an amazing offense,” Pepiot said after that outing. “So I know that they have my back every night and that they’re going to put up runs and support me.”
The Dodgers will have to make their bid for a 10th consecutive postseason berth without ace right-hander Walker Buehler, who will have season-ending elbow surgery, the team announced Monday.
Buehler, who was 16-4 last season, was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts this season.
–Field Level Media
